Ticket severing device



March 26, 1963 W. J. DOBKIN TICKET SEVERING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28. 1958 EEEEEE March 26, 1963 w. J. DOBKIN 3,082,654

TICKET SEVERING DEVICE Filed Aug. 28, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 20 L23 [/8 [20 "5 TI IVENTOR #1- 7 Jaw/em Stats Filed Aug. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 757,760 9 Claims. (Cl. 83- 95) The present invention relates to a ticket severing device, which although having a wide range of utility, is particularly useful in connection with inventory control of merchandise, such as garernnts, kept in stores for sale or other uses.

In connection with the merchandising of articles in stores, such as department stores, the articles on sale usually having attached thereto a tag in the form of a multi-stub ticket for identification and control at the time of sale or transfer. The ticket comprises several duplicate sections or stubs, each printed with identifying data, such as number, style, siZe, price, etc. and each having a series of statistical perforations representing information or data regarding material, style, size, number in stock, etc., adapted to be interpreted, tabulated, correlated, translated, classified or otherwise operated upon by data processing machines. When the article is sold or transferred, one section or stub of the ticket is cut oii and retained by the store for inventory control purpose, while the rest of the ticket remains on the article taken out by the purchaser or transferee. If the article is later returned for credit, the article is usually returned to stock for resale with the remaining ticket attached and on a second sale or transfer, another section or stub of the ticket is cut off. This procedure may be repeated until the article is retained by the purchaser or transferee, or until the article is Withdrawn from stock, retagged with a fresh multi-stub ticket, after all of the stubs on the prior ticket have been used up, or otherwise disposed of.

In the past, tickets of the type described have had lines of perforations between the duplicate sections or stubs, and these stubs have been manually detached at the time of sale or transfer by tearing along the lines of perforations. This operation was slow and very often the ticket sections or stubs were damaged by being torn in the wrong place.

A ticket severing device has been proposed to avoid manual tearing of the ticket sections or stubs. This consisted essentially of an manually operated cut off blade for cutting 0d the ticket sections or stubs and a box into which the sections were dropped and in which they were retained haphazardly for later assortment and/or tabulation.

In connection with data processing machines, the above prior methods are not suitable due to the accuracy required in cutting off the sections and stubs in the right places, and the necessity of having these stubs stacked accurately, so that they will be fed properly successively in the processing machine.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ticket severing device, which will accurately cut off the stub from the ticket by motive power and automatically as the ticket is inserted into the field of operation of said device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ticket severing device, which will accurately stack and align the stubs as they are severed from the tickets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ticket severing device with a stub stacking magazine, which can be easily and quickly detached from the device when filled, which can be easily inserted and employed in the data processing machine for direct feeding thereinto without the necessity of transferring the 3,082,654 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 stack into some other feed magazine, and which can be easily and quickly replaced in the severing device by an empty magazine without suspending the severing operation for more than a few seconds.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ticket severing device of the improved type described designed for horizontal cutting and stacking operation, so that it can fit on a counter permitting a large collecting capacity for the severed stubs, while occupying a minimum of height above the counter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ticket severing device of the improved type described designed to permit quick visible graduated indications of the number of stubs severed and stacked in the magazine, while said magazine is still in the ticket severing device.

Various other objects of the invention are apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a multi-stub tag ticket which can be operated upon by the ticket severing device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the ticket severing device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view of the ticket severing device partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation taken approximately along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2; 1

FIG. 4 is a transverse section of the ticket severing device taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3 but on a larger scale and showing it in conjunction with a stub which has been severed from the ticket of FIG. 2 and stacked in the magazine of the device, the stub being shown without its statistical perforations;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of the ticket severing device taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 3 but shown on a larger scale;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section of the ticket severing deice taken on lines 66 of FIG. 5 but shown on a larger scale and shown in full lines at the instant the ticket hasbeen inserted into the device and at the instant the cutoff knife is about to go automatically into operation;

FIG. 7 is a detail section of the spindle employed in connection 'with the stacking magazine to align the stubs therein, taken on lines 77 of FIG. 6 but shown on a larger scale;

FIG. 8 is a detail section of the ticket severing device taken on the lines 8-8 of FIG. 3 but shown on a larger scale and shown before the operation of the device has been initiated;

FIG. 9 is a detail section of the ticket severing device taken on lines 9-9 of FIG. 3 but shown on a larger scale and shown before the operation of the device has been initiated; and

PKG. 10 is a detail section of the ticket severing device taken on lines 1tt1ti of FIG. 3 but shown on a larger scale and shown during the cutting stroke.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a multl-stub ticket it} of the type adapted to be attached to the article to be sold and to be operated upon by the ticket severing device of the present invention when the article is sold or transferred. This ticket 10 is shown comprising a number of duplicate sections or stubs 11, three being shown, separated by lines 12 of severance, which may be, for example, lines of perforations, or if desired, mere printed lines. Each of the stubs 11 has printing thereon (not shown) visibly indicating such data as the name of the store, number of the article, size, price, etc. and has a series of statistical perforations 13 arranged to indicate such data as the material, style, size, number in stock etc. and adapted to be translated, classified, tabulated or otherwise processed for inventory control by a data processing machine. Each stub 3 11 is also provided with round holes 14 and 15, as well as notches 16 and 17 at the top and bottom to accommodate certain feeding, holding, aligning or other functional devices in the data processing machines.

The ticket severing device of the present invention shown in FIGS. 210 is adapted to cut off the stubs 11 along the lines 12 of severance from the rest of the ticket 10 upon purchase or transfer of the article to which the ticket is attached, and comprises in general a main housing 20 enclosing a magazine holder 21 for a removable magazine 22 in which the stubs 11 severed from the ticket 10'are collected and stacked, a cutting mechanism 23 at the front end of the housing 20' including a movable knife to be described operated from a motor 25 at the rear of the housing 20, and a guiding device 26 for directing the ticket into proper position in the field of operation of the cutting device to be accurately out along the line 12 of severance.

The main housing 20 has a main body of U-shaped cross-section defining a bottom wall 27, and side walls 28 terminating at the top in inturned flanges 30 extending therealong, a removable front cover 31 secured to said flanges by screws 32, and a removable back cover 33 secured to said flanges by screws 34.

Inside the main housing 20 is the magazine holder or support 21 extending between the cutting mechanism 23 and the motor 25. This magazine holder 21 is in the form of a trough as shown in FIG. 4 having a bottom wall 35 and side walls 36 with outturned flanges 37 extending therealong and seated on the inturned flanges 30 of the housing 20 and is secured to said inturned flanges at the rear by the screws 34 passing through said outturned flanges and at the front by a plate 40 (FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 8), seated on said outturned flanges and held down by screws 39 passing through said plate and said outturned flanges and threaded into the inturned housing flanges 30. The back end of the magazine trough 21 is partially closed by an upstanding wall 41 (FIGS. 3 and 6) which abuts with a depending wall 42 of the back cover 33, thus closing the back end of said trough in which the stub collecting magazine 22 is located.

The cutting mechanism 23 at the entrance to the magazine 22 includes the movable knife cooperating with a fixed knife 50 (FIGS. 5, 6 and 9). The stationary cutting knife 50 in the form of a blade is mounted on top of the housing 20 and more specifically on brackets 4-9 aflixed to the side walls 28 of said housing and is secured to said brackets by means of screws 52 as shown in FIGS. and 6, with the cutting edge 53 of the blade toward the front.

The movable knife comprises a pair of thin blades 54 (FIGS. 6, 8, 9 and secured in angular relationship to a movable blade holder 55 by means of rivets 56 to form a V-shaped assembly. This assembly is mounted by a pair of screws 57 on a carrier 58 with the upper edges of the movable blades 54 in shearing relation to the stationary blade 50. The movable blades 54 converge away from the fixed blade 50, so that a ticket between the blades 54 and the blade 50 is cut progressively from the sides of the ticket inwardly toward the center as these movable blades 54 are moved towards said fixed knife 50 until the severance is completed at the center of the ticket.

The movable blades 54 extend above the holder 55 a suitable distance to allow for grinding when these blades become dull in use, and the carrier 58 is provided with uprightly elongated holes for the screws 57, so that the movable blade assembly may be adjusted to proper shearing level in relation to the stationary knife 50.

The movable blade carrier 58 is operated from the motor 25 shown in the form of a solenoid secured to the rear end of the housing 20 by screws 64 (FIG. 3). For operating the blade carrier 58 from the solenoid 25, this carrier is in the form of an angle piece (FIGS. 5-10), one web of which is upright and mounts the blade assembly, the other horizontal web being secured to one end of a link 65 (FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6), as for example, by spot welding. This link 65 is in the form of a channel extending along the housing 26 below the bottom of the magazine support 21 and is secured at its other end to the plunger of the solenoid 25 by a pin 66. A tension spring 67 for urging the movable blade assembly into the retracted inoperative positions shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, is secured at one end to a finger 68 punched out of the link 65, while the other end is secured to a bracket 70 connected to the bottom housing wall 27. A pair of bearings 71 (FIGS. 5, 8l0) secured to the side housing walls 28 receive the sides of the horizontal web of the movable blade carrier 58 to guide and support said carrier in its movements towards ticket shearing position shown in FIG. 10 and back into retracted position shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. Energization of the coils of the solenoid 25 actuates the movable blade carrier 58 through its cutting stroke against the action of the spring 67 and upon completion of the stroke, the solenoid coils are deenergized, whereupon the spring 67 returns the blade carrier to its initial inoperative position. A pair of rubber bumpers 72 (FIGS. 6, 8-10) are provided in the front corners of the housing 28 to receive and limit the movable carrier 58 as it reaches the retracted inoperative position in FIGS. 6 and 8.

The guiding device 26 serves to direct the ticket 10 into proper position in the field of operation of the cutting device 23 to be accurately cut along the lines 12 of severance and at the same time cooperates with a switch device 75 (FIGS. 5 and 8) controlling the operation of the solenoid 25 to automatically close the circuit of said solenoid when the ticket has reached the proper position to be cut and to move thereby the movable blade carrier 58 through its cutting stroke. This switch device 75 is mounted on the mounting plate 40, which in turn is secured to the top of the housing 20 just to the rear of the fixed blade 50. This switch device 75 comprises an insulated base 76 secured to the mounting plate 40 and mounting a conducting arm 73 with a contact 77 and one end of a conducting spring arm 78 carrying at its other free end an insulated stud 80. The anchored end of the spring arm '78 and the adjoining end of the conducting arm 73 are separated by an insulating block 74 and these arm ends are connected by means of conductors 81 to the coil of the solenoid 25 and to a conductor cord 79 leading to the outside of the housing 20 and to a plug (not shown) for insertion into a wall outlet. When the spring arm 78 is free from restraint, its inherent resiliency will move it away from the contact 77, as shown in dot and dash lines in FIG. 5 thereby opening the switch 75, so that the solenoid 25 is inactive, and the cutting mechanism 23 is correspondingly inactive. When the stud 80 at the free end of the spring arm 78 is depressed into the full line position shown in FIG. 5, this spring arm engages the contact 77, thereby closing the circuit of the solenoid 25 through the arms 73 and 78 and causing the actuation of the cutting mechanism through a cutting stroke.

The switch spring arm 78 is depressed by the action of the guiding device 26. For that purpose, the mounting plate 40 has its sides and rear turned to form two upright side walls 83 (FIGS. 5, 6 and 8) and a rear wall 84. Attached to the plate 40 is a support for the ticket in the form of a rocker plate 85 having two tabs 86 at the rear end extending into respective slots in the rear wall 84 of the plate 40 to form a pivot connection between said rocker plate and said rear wall and carrying gauge means constituting two gauge pins 87 and 88 at the front end upon which the ticket 10 is impaled through the holes 14 and 15 of said ticket for the purposes to be described, the rocker plate and the pins forming part of the guiding device 26 and also part of the means controlling the operation of the solenoid switch 75 as will be described. On the underside of the rocker plate 85 is a pawl 90 pivotally secured to the rocker plate by a stud 91. A small hole )2 is located near the center of the pawl 90 to which one end of a tension spring 93 is attached, while the other end of the spring is attached to the rear wall 84 of the plate 40. This spring 93 has a dual function, namely to urge the pawl 90 in a counterclockwise direction around the axis of the stud 91 as viewed in FIG. 8and to urge the combined plate 40 and pawl 90 upwards from position A to position B, as viewed in FIG. 6. One end of the pawl 99 is provided with an offset 95 and the other end is provided with a depending finger 96, the function of which will be discussed later. An angular notch 97 is provided in the rocker plate 85 to engage the transverse section of the offset 95 thus forming a dead-stop for the pawl 90 against the action of the spring 93, as shown in FIG. 8.

A cover 100 (FIGS. 2, 5, 6, 8-10) over the housing 20 is secured to the side walls 83 of the mounting plate 4% by screws 101 and encloses the assembly comprising the rocker plate 85, the pawl 90, the spring 93 and the switch device 75. The two ticket impaling pins 87 and 88, however, project through elongated slots 102 in the front wall of the cover 100.

In normal position, the assembly of the rocker plate 85 and the pins 87 and 38 are in the uppermost position B shown in FIG. 6, as a result of the action of the spring 93, and the switch 75 is open,'due to the fact that the spring switch arm 78 is free from restraint and is therefore flexed away by its inherent resiliency from the contact 77. If the pins 87 and $8 are moved downward to bring the rocker plate 85 to position A, the offset 95 on the pawl 90 depresses the stud 80 of the switch 75 to bring the switch arm 73 into engagement with the contact 77, thus closing the circuit of the solenoid 25.

To prevent the coils of the solenoid 25 from being energized too long after ticket cutting action, and therefore from burning up, a circuit opening pin 1&3 (FIGS. 5 and 8) is connected to one side corner of the movable blade carrier 58 and extendsrearwardly therefrom in position to strike the depending finger 96 of the pawl 90 as shown in dot and dash line position in FIG. 8. and move said pawl clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 8, as the movable blade carrier 58 reaches the end of its cutting stroke, thus moving the ofiset 95 of the pawl away from depressing engagement with the stud 80 of the switch 75. This releases the spring switch arm 78 and permits it to move away from the contact 77, thereby opening the switch 75 and deenergizing the coils of the solenoid 25. With the solenoid 25 deenergized, the spring 67 returns the movable blade carrier 58 to its normal inoperative position shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. However, the pawl 90 does not return to its normal position since its offset is blocked by the stud 80. However, when the ticket impaling pins 87 and 86 are returned to elevated position B shown in FIG. 6, the pawl 90 through the rocker plate 85 moves up with it, thereby clearing the stud 8d and permitting said pawl to return under the action of the spring 93 to the position shown in FIG. 8 with its offset 95 directly over said stud, in position for the next ticket cutting operation.

In the operation of the cutting mechanism 23, the ticket 10 is inserted vertically between the stationary blade 5t) and the movable blades 54'. The front housing cover 31 is spaced from the switch assembly cover 1% to form a narrow gap or opening 105 (FIGS. 6 and 8) therebetween across which the pins 57 and 88 extend and through which the ticket is pushed vertically for cutting action, and the rear edge 106 of said front housing cover slants downwardly and rearwardly to ease the entry of the stub into the field of action of the cutting mechanism.

The ticket locating pins 37 and 88 are tapered to assist in the pinning of the ticket thereon and the cover 106' through which said pins protrude is provided with an arcuate front Wall 107 slanting upwardly and rearwardly, so that when the pins are in normal elevated position B shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, only the smaller ends of the pins protrude through the holes 14 and .15 of the ticket with clearance, making it easy to impale the ticket thereon, but as the ticket is pushed downward through the gap 165 and into the field of operation of the cutting mechanism, the thicker parts of the pins protrude with a snug fit in said holes, thus placing the ticket in proper alignment for cut oil".

The distance that the pins 87 and 88 travel from normal position B to cutting position A (FIG. 6) is considerably shorter than the width of the stub 11. For that reason, the lower stub 11 of the ticket 16 is lowered through the gap 195 until the holes 14 and 15 of the next stub 11 above it are in line with the pins 87 and 88 respectively, at which point the ticket is pushed back over the raised pins to cause said pins to pass partially through the latter holes in the position B shown in FIG. 6. With the pins 87 and 88 extending partially through the holes 14 and 15 of the second stub 11 from the bottom of the ticket 19, this ticket is lowered edgewise, causing the pins to move downward to position A. In this position, the line '12, of severance between the two lower stubs 11 will be in line with the cutting plane C (FIG. 5) of the blades 51) and 54 and the solenoid switch 75 will be closed to actuate the cutting mechanism 23, in the manner described. This cutting mechanism 23 will cut the bottom stub 11 off accurately along its line 12 of severance.

To further facilitate the location of the ticket on the pins 87 and 88, a guide block 169 (FIGS. 2 and 8) is secured to the front Wall of the switch assembly cover 1612, so located, that when the side of this ticket engages the vertical side of said block nearest the pins, the holes 14 and 15 in these tickets will be in the vertical center planes of said pins respectively. Therefore, by sliding the ticket 1% along the guide block 169, the holes 14 and 15 in the ticket can be brought into registry with the pins 87 and 88 respectively.

After the stub 11 is cut oii from the ticket 10 as described, it is automatically added to a stack of aligned stubs 11 previously cut and collected in the magazine 22 in a manner to permit the magazine with the stack thereon to be used directly in the data processing machine. This magazine 22 opened at both ends is substantially of rectangular cross-section and is provided with side walls 1-10 and 111 (FIGS. 4, 6, 9 and 10), a top wall 112 and bottom walls 113, 113a spaced to form an opening 11 1- along the bottom of the magazine.

The magazine 22 is provided with a spindle 115 extending along a corner thereof to engage with a free slide the locating holes 14 in the stubs 11 cut and collected in said magazine. The back end of the spindle 115 is secured to a racket 116 fastened to the rear of the magazine 22 and the front end of the spindle projects beyond the front of the magazine except for a corner extension 117 of the magazine serving the purpose to be described and is tapered to facilitate the impalement of the cut stub thereon.

To prevent the stacked stubs 11 from dropping off the spindle 115 in the handling and transporting of the magazine 22 to the data processing machine, there is provided a spring 118 (FIGS. 6 and 7) in the form of a wire located in a slot 126 extending along said Wire. One end of the spring 118 is secured in a cross-hole 121 in the spindle 115, while the other end is hooked freely in a hole 122 in the tapered end of the spindle 115. The spring 118 is provided with an angular oitset 123, which normally projects beyond the periphery or" the spindle 115 and beyond the hole 14 of the cut stub '11 about to be impaled upon said spindle. As the cut stub 11 is pushed onto the spindle 115, the edge of the hole 14 thereon engaging the spring 118 cams and depresses the spring into the slot until it passes beyond the projecting offset 123, whereupon the spring rises and yieldably holds the stub against Withdrawal.

The magazine 22 is substantially long to accommodate a long stack of stubs 11. For that reason, a correspondingly long spindle 115 is required posing the problem of affording accuracy required to meet the locating holes 14 of the stubs 11. To that end, means are provided for maintaining the spindle 115 in proper position at all times comprising a rectangular slide plate 125 (FIGS. 6 and having a beaning sleeve 126 at one end fitting the spindle snugly with a free slide fit. The other end of the slide plate 125 has a flange 127, which rides along the adjacent side wall 111 of the magazine 22 and which remains within the magazine, while the main section of the plate projects a little forwardly of the front end of the magazine at the beginning of the stub collecting operation, as shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 6 shows the slide plate 125 in an intermediate position after the magazine 22 has been partially filled with stubs 11.

To prevent the slide plate 125 from sliding too freely back and forth within the magazine 22, a friction drag device is provided comprising a ball 130 (FIG. 6) slidable in a bore 131 of a housing extension 132 of the slide plate and pressed against the spindle 115 by a spring 133 in said bore hearing at one end against said ball and at the othe rend against a screw plug 134 closing the outer end of said bore.

The front face of the slide plate 125 is fiat and adapted to receive the first stub 11 to be slipped onto the spindle 1-15 and into the magazine 22. As successive stubs '11 are pushed onto the spindle 1'15 and added to the previous stubs collected thereon, the slide plate 125 moves from the initial position shown in FIG. 10 to a position near the rear of the magazine 22 when the stack has been completed.

The back limit of travel of the slide plate 125 is established by the bracket 116 supporting the rear end of the spindle and the front limit is established by a hole 149 (FIG. 10) in the side magazine wall 110. A resilient stop 141 in the form of a flat spring is secured to the bearing sleeve 126 and slants away from said sleeve. The stop 141 rides freely along the side wall 110 of the magazine 22 in the rearward movement of the slide plate 125 and also in its forward movement until it reaches its extreme front at which time the stop snapping into the hole 141) stops further forward movement of the slide plate as shown in FIG. 10.

To insure positive placement of the stubs 11 successively on the spindle 115, the front end of the spindle is extended beyond the entrance of magazine 22 and near the cutting edge of the fixed blade 59. To prevent damage to the projecting end of the spindle 115 in the handling and transfer of the fully stacked magazine 22 to r a. data processing machine, the corner section 117 of the magazine adjacent to the spindle is extended forwardly beyond the spindle to form a guard for said projecting spindle end as shown in FIGS. 6 and 10.

The stroke of the solenoid is such that it carries the movable blades 54 from their normal position shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, past the width of the fixed blade and partially into the magazine 22, moving the stub 11 and the slide plate 125 before it. Due to the V-shaped construction of the movable blades 54, the stub 11 becomes bent during the shearing and before the center part of the stub is cut off, the bent end of the stub near the spindle 115 and the hole 14 on said stub is partially on the spindle, as shown in FIG. 10. Provided in the movable blade holder in alignment with the spindle is a hole 145 (FIGS. 6 and 10) into which the spindle enters while the stubs 11 are being pushed over said spindle successively. Further shearing movement of the movable blades 54 carries the stub past the high point 123 of the spring 118 and into the mouth of the magazine 22.

One end of the stub 11 is supported by the spindle 115 in the manner described as it is slipped over said spindle. To prevent the other loose end of the stub 11 from falling down after the stub has been completely cut and before it enters the magazine 22, a rail 149 (FIGS. 6 and 10) is connected to an inclined bottom section 150 of the magazine holder 21 and extends through the opening 114 (FIG. 4) in the bottom of the magazine 22 and forwardly beyond the mouth of the magazine 22, as shown in FIG. 10. As the cut stub 11 is being pushed into the magazine 22 against the yieldable resistance of the frictionally held slide plate 125, the rail 149 extends into the bottom notch 17 of the stub, thereby keeping the stub supported and properly aligned with the stubs 11 already cut and stacked until the stub enters the magazine.

The stubs 11 vary in length according to the data information required. However, the locating holes 14 and 15, as well as the notches 16 and 17 are identically located for all stubs to fit the same data processing machine, and the magazine 22 is designed to accommodate the longest stub and the shortest stub with a clearance 152, as shown in FIG. 4. A-bead or rib 153 (FIGS. 4 and 10) along the side of the bottom wall 113 of the magazine 22 guides the stubs 11 as they move into and outside of the magazine 22. A guide 154 (FIGS. 6 and 10) in the form of a fiat plate is secured to the top wall 112 of the magazine 22 at the entrance end thereof and extends into the upper aligned notches 16 of the stacked stubs to maintain not only the stubs but also the spindle 115 in proper alignment within the magazine.

The top wall 112 of the magazine 22 is provided with a series of window holes 156 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 6) properly spaced along the center of the magazine and numbered to indicate the number of stubs 11 in the magazine at any hole section.

In connection with the system where perforated tickets are used for inventory control, especially in places like department stores having self-service departments, there is a security problem involved. The stores advertise and are obligated to refund the purchase price upon return of the article within a specified time, providing there is attached to the article the balance of the ticket. This induces the shoplifter to steal an article, and by cutting off the stub to simulate a legitimate sale, he can, by bringing the article for refund, obtain its value in cash. To prevent such losses to the store, a validating cutter 160 (FIGS. 5 and 9) is provided secured to the fixed blade 50 and having a depending tab 161 which fits in a slot of said fixed blade, and which extends a distance below the cutting edge of said blade. The end of this tab 161 has a semi-circular or other unusual contour, adapted to cooperate with a corresponding notch 162 in one of the movable blades 54 when the blades 50 and 54 come together into cutting relationship. This arrangement serves to cut a notch 163 (FIG. 4) in the stub 11 severed and stacked and leaves a corresponding tab on the part of the ticket 10 remaining attached to the article. It would not be practical for shoplifters to duplicate the tab on a ticket without first developing a cutter which would not only duplicate the contour of said tab but its location as well, especially since the store may change the cutter from time to time. At the time of refund, it is necessary only to have an old stub that has been cut off by the severing device and to match it with the returned ticket to determine if it was the result of a valid sale.

After the mazagine 22 has been filled with stubs 11, it is removed from the magazine holder 21 for transfer to the data processing machine. The stubs 11 are processed in the data processing machine directly from the magazine without transfer, the stubs being discharged from said magazine, fed directly and successively to the processing elements of the machine and coursed through said machine by means of the holes 14 and 15 and the notches 16 and 17 on said stubs. After removal of the filled magazine 22, an empty magazine may be inserted in its place in the holder 21.

As previously described, at its rear end, the magazine 22 is closed by the upstanding wall 41 (FIG. 6) in the magazine holder Zll and by the depending wall 42 of the back housing cover 33 in abutting relationship to said upstanding wall, and the front of the magazine 22 is located immediately behind the fixed blade 50. A key lock 165 (PEG. 2) is provided within the back housing cover 33 and adjacent to the rear of the magazine 22 for the purpose of securing the latter in place, so that only authorized persons may have access to the stubs.

To remove the magazine 22, it is necessary to unlock the magazine 22, move the magazine slightly forward to clear the depending wall 42 (FIG. 6) of the back housing cover 33 and lift the back end of said magazine until the bottom of said magazine clears the top wall of the back housing cover 33, after which the magazine is pulled back until the magazine clears the cover 166 and the mechanism therein. A semi-circular slot 166 (FIGS. 2 and 6) is provided in the rear of the top wall 112 of the magazine 22 to permit a finger to be inserted therein by which the magazine may be lifted out of the magazine holder 21, and the front part of the magazine holder is provided along its bottom Wall 35 with the angular or inclined section 15%) to permit the back end of the magazine to be lifted, as otherwise, the cover 100 and the mechanism therein would interfere with the insertion or removal of the magazine. The inclined bottom wall section 150 of the magazine 22 is provided with a stop 1'70, the purpose of which is to stop the magazine at the proper point for lowering its back end into the magazine holder 21. Otherwise, the magazine 22 might slide under the fixed blade 50 during the insertion of the magazine and prevent the latter from being lowered in place.

Although the operation of the ticket severing device is believed to be apparent from the foregoing description, it is summarized briefly herein:

The ticket 1% with the duplicate stubs 11 is inserted down vertically between the stationary blade 50 and the movable blades 54, while the movable blades are in the retracted inoperative position shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, until the holes 14 and 15 of the second stub M. from the bottom are in alignment with the locating pins 87 and 88 respectively elevated to position B shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. The ticket lit? is then moved laterally to cause the pins 37 and 88 to enter the locating holes 14 and 15 respectively and then moved downwardly pushing the pins 87 and 88 down with it until said pins reach the limit of downward movement in position A shown in FIG. 6. In this lower limiting position of the ticket 1%, its line 12 of severance between the two lower stubs 11 will be in line with the cutting plane of the blades 50 and 54 and the solenoid switch '75 will be closed, causing the movable blades 54 to be moved towards the fixed blade 56 to cut the ticket along said line of severance. As the ticket it? is being cut, the lower stub lll is being pushed into the mouth of the magazine 22 against the yieldable resistance of the slide plate 125 in said magazine and is being impaled on the spindle 115 through the hole 14 in said stub. Upon completion of the cutting operation, the lower stub 11 is completely cut, impaled on the spindle 115 beyond the offset 123 of its spring 118 and added to the other stacked and aligned stubs on said spindle and in said magazine. At the same time, the switch device 75 is opened, causing the movable blades 54 to be returned to normal position shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 by the action of the spring 67.

The ticket severing operations may be repeated until the magazine 22 is filled, whereupon it can be taken out of the magazine holder 21 and an empty magazine with attached spindle 115 and slide plate 125 lowered in, position in the holder.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to a specific embodiment, it is to be understood that it is not to be limited thereto, but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for cutting an end stub from a discontinuous ticket containing a number of duplicate stubs separated by lines of severance, each of said stubs having a pair of holes by which the cut stub may be handled in a data processing machine, said device comprising a ticket cutting mechanism, an electric motor for operating said cutting mechanism, a housing for said cutting mechanism having an opening leading into the field of action of said cutting mechanism, a switch in the circuit of said motor normally open, a rocker controlling the opening and closing of said switch, a pair of ticket impaling, guiding and locating pins on said rocker spaced and dimensioned to fit into said holes respectively of each stub and normally located in inoperative position outside of said housing in easily accessible position to permit the manual impalement of a ticket thereon, said rocker being pivotally supported to cause the ticket impaling pins thereon to move therewith about an axis towards and away from the field of action of said cutting mechanism, whereby when a ticket is impaled on said. pins through said holes, manual pressure on the ticket will direct the ticket in a constrained predetermined path through said opening towards the field of action of said cutting mechanism, until the ticket reaches a cutting position in which the line of severance separating the two stubs at one end of the ticket is in the cutting plane of said cutting mechanism, means for stopping said rocker when it reaches a limiting position in which said ticket is in said cutting position, spring means acting on said rocker for urging said pins towards said inoperative position outside of said housing, whereby when manual pressure on said ticket is released, the pins will return towards said inoperative position under the action of said spring means and means automatically operable when said rocker reaches said limiting position for closing said switch to energize said motor and operate said cutting mechanism from inoperative position through a cutting stroke.

2. A device for cutting tickets having respective stubs attached thereto, comprising a cutting mechanism having a fixed blade defining a cutting edge, a movable knife comprising a pair of blades with the general planes of said blades arranged at an angle with each other in V- relationship and converging away from the fixed blade, the cutting edges of said movable blades being in the plane of the fixed cutting edge, the ticket to be cut being adapted to be inserted between said fixed blade and said movable blades, means for moving said movable blades in unison towards and away from said fixed blade in a direction substantially parallel to the latter plane to move the cutting edges of said blades across said fixed cutting edge during their cutting stroke, said movable blades being adapted to fold angularly the stub of the ticket and to sever the stub of the ticket along its line of severance progressively from the opposite sides of the ticket towards its center as said movable blades move during their cutting strokes and a magazine in front of said movable knife having an open end mouth facing said movable knife, said fixed blade extending along one side of the magazine and having its cutting edge adjacent to the end of the magazine nearest said movable knife, said movable knife serving not only to move the ticket across the cutting edge of the fixed blade but also to push the severed stub through said open end mouth and into said magazine.

3. In a device for cutting an end stub along a severance line from a discontinuous ticket containing a hole, the combination comprising a housing presenting an opening through which the ticket to be cut may be manually inserted, a ticket cutting mechanism in said housing comprising a fixed knife on one side of the opening and a movable knife normally on the other side of the opening and movable across said opening, means for guiding and locating a ticket inserted in said opening in proper cutting position in relation to the cutting mechanism and comprising a pin located outside the housing substantially opposite said opening and dimensioned to fit into the hole of the ticket for impalement of the ticket on said pin, a support for said pin mounted for such movement as to carry the pin toward and away from said opening, spring means urging said support toward a position in which the pin is furthest away from said opening, whereby when said pin is furthest away from said opening, the ticket may be impaled thereon and manually pressed inward and edgewise in said opening against the action of said spring means, and means limiting said support in its movement against the action of said spring means in a position in which the ticket impaled on said pin and extending into said opening has its severance line in alignment with the cutting edges of said knives, and means automatically operable when said support reaches said limiting position for actuating the movable knife through a ticket cutting stroke.

4. In a device as described in claim 3, wherein each ticket has a second hole and said ticket guiding and locating means comprises a second pin on said support adapted to pass through said second hole, whereby both pins pass through both holes for impalement of the ticket on said pin, and wherein said support is a rocker pivotally supported for movement.

5. In a device for cutting an end stub from a discontinuous ticket containing a number of duplicate stubs separated by lines of severance, each of said stubs having a pair of holes by which the cut stub may be handled in a data processing machine, the combination comprising a ticket cutting mechanism, said device having an opening into which the ticket can be manually inserted into the field of action of the cutting mechanism, a pair of ticket impaling, guiding and locating pins spaced and dimensioned to fit into said holes respectively of each stub, means mounting said pins for reciprocating movement in unison from an original position outside said opening carrying said pins through said opening and towards the field of action of said cutting mechanism along a predetermined path and then carrying said pins back to said original position, whereby when a ticket is impaled on said pins through said holes, manual pressure on the ticket will direct the ticket in a constrained predetermined path through said opening and towards the field of action of said cutting mechanism until the ticket reaches a cutting position in which the line of severance separating the two stubs at one end of the ticket is in the cutting plane of said cutting mechanism, spring means acting on said mounting means for urging said pins towards said original position, whereby upon the release of manual pressure on the ticket, said pins will return to said original position under said spring means, means for limiting further movement of said mounting means when the impaled ticket reaches said cutting position, and means automatically responsive to the positioning of the ticket to be cut in said cutting position for operating the cutting mechanism from a stationary position through a cutting cycle.

6. A device for cutting tickets having respective stubs attached thereto, each stub having a hole comprising a cutting machine for cutting off the stubs from the tickets successively and including a fixed cutting knife, a knife movable from a retracted position towards said fixed knife in a straight substantially horizontal direction transverse to the plane of the movable knife to cut the stubs from the tickets and back to said retracted position in opposite straight direction for each complete cutting cycle, a substantially horizontal magazine extending longitudinally along the direction of movement of said movable knife and having an open month near said fixed knife and beyond the retracted position of the movable knife in position to receive the stubs successively as they are cut, said movable knife presenting a shearing edge and a forward surface in the plane of the knife facing the open mouth of said magazine, said surface being disposed in relation to said shearing edge to cause said surface to engage the face of the stub to be severed as the stub is being severed by said shearing edge, whereby the stub as soon as it is severed is pushed by said surface in the straight line direction of movement of said movable knife into the magazine, and means for holding the cut stubs in said magazine in stacked alignment with the stubs previously severed and delivered to said magazine as the severed stubs are pushed by the movable knife into said magazine, and comprising a spindle secured to said magazine and extending along said magazine in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of said movable knife and in position to pass through the holes in the severed stubs as said stubs are delivered to the magazine, a slide plate in said magazine extending transversely of the magazine and guided thereby for movement therealong, and means yieldably resisting movement of said slide plate in said magazine in a direction away from said open mouth, the cut stubs as they are delivered to said magazine collecting in said magazine as a stack against said slide plate, said surface on said movable knife positively pushing the stubs as they are out against said stack causing said slide plate to move along said magazine away from said open mouth step by step against the action of said resisting means.

7. In a device for cutting an end stub from a discontinuous ticket containing a number of duplicate stubs separated by lines of severance, the combination of a ticket cutting mechanism, a housing for said cutting mechanism with an opening through which the ticket can be manually inserted into the field of action of the cutting mechanism, ticket guiding and locating means for holding the ticket and carrying said ticket in a predetermined path through said opening as said ticket is manually pushed into the field of action of said cutting mechanism, comprising a support for the ticket, gauge means on said support for locating and holding the ticket in predetermined position on said support and means mounting said support for reciprocating movement in one direction from an initial position to a limiting position in which the ticket carried by the support has its line of severance between two stubs at one end of the ticket in the cutting plane of said cutting mechanism and then in the opposite direction back to said initial poposition, said mounting means being free to move in said one direction upon application of manual pressure to said support, said gauge means being located in an accessible position near said opening for application of the ticket to be cut thereto when said support is in said initial position, means restricting the movement of said support in said one direction to said limiting position, means automatically operable when said support reaches said limiting position for actuating the cutting mechanism from a stationary position through a single ticket cycle and for stopping the cutting mechanism at the end of said cycle, means for piling the stubs successively into an orderly stack and automatically as the stubs are cut and spring means acting on said support for urging said support towards said initial position, whereby upon the release of manual pressure on the support, said support returns to said initial position through the action of said spring means.

8. A device for cutting tickets having respective stubs attached thereto, each stub having a hole, comprising a cutting mechanism for cutting off the stubs from the tickets successively, a magazine having an open entry end, a spindle extending along said magazine, a slide plate in said magazine serving as a backing plate for a stack of cut stubs to be collected in said magazine, a friction drag connection between said spindle and said slide plate permitting said plate to move along said spindle away form said entry end of the magazine with friction resistance, said slide plate extending transverse to the longitudinal direction of the magazine and having a close fit with the side walls of the magazine to confine said plate against substantial movement in relation to the magazine transverse to said longitudinal direction and to maintain thereby the spindle in proper position in relation to the magazine, a cutting mechanism having a movable knife for cutting the stubs successively from the tickets inserted in the field of action of said knife, and means operable in synchronism with said knife for positively pushing the stubs as they are cut into said magazine in impalement with said spindle through said holes and against any stack of stubs collected in said magazine, causing thereby said slide plate to be pushed back step by step along said spindle against said friction resistance.

9. A device for cutting tickets having respective stubs attached thereto comprising a housing adapted to be supported on a horizontal surface, a solenoid motor in said housing near one end thereof, a cutting mechanism in said housing for cutting off the stubs from the tickets successively comprising a knife near the other end of the housing movable substantialy horizontally along a straight line, a drive connection in said housing between said motor and said movable knife, said housing defining an opening at the top of the housing through which the ticket to be cut may be lowered edgewise into the path of said movable knife in its cutting stroke, a substantially horizontal magazine in said housing extending 1ongitudinally along the direction of movement of said movable knife between said motor and said knife, and having an open end mouth facing said movable knife, a slide plate in said magazine extending transversely of the magazine and guided for movement therealong, means yieldably resisting movement of said slide plate in said magazine in a direction away from said open mouth, the cut stubs as they are delivered to said magazine collecting in said magazine as a stack-against said slide plate, said movable knife presenting a shearing edge and a forward surface in the plane of the knife transverseto said straight line and facing the open mouth of said magazine, said surface being disposed in relation to said against the action of said yieldable resisting means, and

means in said magazine for aligning the stubs with previously aligned stubs in said magazine as said stubs are fed into said magazine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 530,083 Bradley Dec. 4, 1-894 1,225,932 Davidson May 15, 1917 1,684,296 Brodsky Sept. 11, 1928 1,963,812 Van Dusen June 19, 1934 1,977,000 Landrock Oct. 16, 1934 2,000,159 Bolognino May 7, 1935 2,084,098 Long June 15, 1937 2,144,564 Portman-Dixon J an. *17, 1939 2,174,585 Kotzich Oct. 3, 1939 2,400,793 Tuska May 21, 1946 2,408,363 Beckman et al. Oct. 1, 1946 2,601,898 Vestorsky July 1, 1952 2,768,686 Feiertag Oct. 30, 1956 2,799,337 Arcus July 16, 1957 2,876,943 Tholstrup Mar. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,138 Great Britain May 10, 1912 421,334 Great Britain Dec. 12, 1934 648,343 Great Britain Ian. 3, 1951 77,195 Netherlands Feb. 15, 1955 

1. A DEVICE FOR CUTTING AN END STUB FROM A DISCONTINUOUS TICKET CONTAINING A NUMBER OF DUPLICATE STUBS SEPARATED BY LINES OF SEVERANCE, EACH OF SAID STUBS HAVING A PAIR OF HOLES BY WHICH THE CUT STUB MAY BE HANDLED IN A DATA PROCESSING MACHINE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A TICKET CUTTING MECHANISM, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR OPERATING SAID CUTTING MECHANISM, A HOUSING FOR SAID CUTTING MECHANISM HAVING AN OPENING LEADING INTO THE FIELD OF ACTION OF SAID CUTTING MECHANISM, A SWITCH IN THE CIRCUIT OF SAID MOTOR NORMALLY OPEN, A ROCKER CONTROLLING THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF SAID SWITCH, A PAIR OF TICKET IMPALING, GUIDING AND LOCATING PINS ON SAID ROCKER SPACED AND DIMENSIONED TO FIT INTO SAID HOLES RESPECTIVELY OF EACH STUB AND NORMALLY LOCATED IN INOPERATIVE POSITION OUTSIDE OF SAID HOUSING IN EASILY ACCESSIBLE POSITION TO PERMIT THE MANUAL IMPALEMENT OF A TICKET THEREON, SAID ROCKER BEING PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED TO CAUSE THE TICKET IMPALING PINS THEREON TO MOVE THEREWITH ABOUT AN AXIS TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE FIELD OF ACTION OF SAID CUTTING MECHANISM, WHEREBY WHEN A TICKET IS IMPALED ON SAID PINS THROUGH SAID HOLES, MANUAL PRESSURE ON THE TICKET WILL DIRECT THE TICKET IN A CONSTRAINED PREDETERMINED PATH THROUGH SAID OPENING TOWARDS THE FIELD OF ACTION OF SAID CUTTING MECHANISM, UNTIL THE TICKET REACHES A CUTTING POSITION IN WHICH THE LINE OF SEVERANCE SEPARATING THE TWO STUBS AT ONE END OF THE TICKET IS IN THE CUTTING PLANE OF SAID CUTTING MECHANISM, MEANS FOR STOPPING SAID ROCKER WHEN IT REACHES A LIMITING POSITION IN WHICH SAID TICKET IS IN SAID CUTTING POSITION, SPRING MEANS ACTING ON SAID ROCKER FOR URGING SAID PINS TOWARDS SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION OUTSIDE OF SAID HOUSING, WHEREBY WHEN MANUAL PRESSURE ON SAID TICKET IS RELEASED, THE PINS WILL RETURN TOWARDS SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION UNDER THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING MEANS AND MEANS AUTOMATICALLY OPERABLE WHEN SAID ROCKER REACHES SAID LIMITING POSITION FOR CLOSING SAID SWITCH TO ENERGIZE SAID MOTOR AND OPERATE SAID CUTTING MECHANISM FROM INOPERATIVE POSITION THROUGH A CUTTING STROKE. 